Marianne “Mausi” Werth

April 1, 1918 - January 31, 2018

Marianne “Mausi” Werth passed away peacefully at the San Francisco Towers on January 31, 2018, with her family by her side. She is survived by her three children, Maggie, Ron, and Steve, seven grandchildren, and four great grandchildren (with one more on the horizon).

Marianne was born in Berlin, Germany on April 1, 1918. She enjoyed a wonderful childhood, surrounded by a large, close, and loving family. However, her family, along with every other Jewish family in Germany during that era, was torn apart by the Nazi government’s policies of the 1930s. Unlike some family members, Marianne was able to leave Germany in May, 1938. She arrived in what would be her new hometown, San Francisco, later that year.

In 1942, while working at Haas Brothers, Marianne met another German Jewish immigrant, Bernard Werth. Shortly after their first date, which included a milkshake at Bunnie’s, Bernard and Marianne were married. That marriage would continue until Bernard’s passing in 2014.

Soon after her wedding, Marianne was thrust into the role of single mom as her husband shipped out to Europe where the Allied invasion had begun. At the war’s conclusion, Marianne and Bernard moved to the Sunset District, where they would remain until 1997. They bought a home across from Lawton Elementary School, where Marianne became the “Mrs. Cleaver” to many of her children’s friends, ready to serve a cold glass of chocolate milk and some freshly baked Toll House cookies. Marianne was a devoted mother, who enjoyed taking her children to Gilbert’s Deli on Noriega for a pastrami sandwich or the Big Dipper on Judah for an after-dinner ice cream cone. She was also known to slip an extra dollar or two to the neighborhood kids to buy food and beverage at the 49er games at Kezar. Eventually, grandchildren, and then great grandchildren, came into her life. Nothing made her happier than simply being with her children’s families, other than, perhaps, beating her grandchildren in highly competitive games of ping pong.

Besides being surrounded by her husband, children, and her children’s families, Marianne had many close friends who she spent countless hours with playing bridge (who Bernard somewhat jokingly referred to as the “bridge mafia”) and golf at the challenging Golden Gate Park golf course. These friendships lasted, literally, a lifetime.

Marianne lived a long and good life. While she will be deeply missed, Marianne’s good humor and compassion will carry on in her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Jewish Family and Children’s Services.